Turkish Driving Licence: 2026 Cost Calculator and Application Routes
First licence, foreign licence, renewal or an old card: the 2026 charges by class, the e-exam, the 6-month rule and what to bring.
Table of Contents
In Türkiye a driving licence (sürücü belgesi, in everyday speech ehliyet) is issued by the population office, NVİ, at its local nüfus müdürlüğü. How you get one depends on where you start: from nothing, from a foreign licence, from a Turkish card that ran out, or from an old pre-2016 card that no longer counts. Here are the four routes, what each costs in 2026 and what to bring.
A Turkish licence in 2026
Pick your route, then pay three charges.
- First class B licence: 8,869.60 TL to NVİ, plus 1,250 TL for each theory exam attempt. The driving school and the practical exam come on top.
- Foreign licence: foreigners may drive on it for 6 months from the day they enter Türkiye, Turkish citizens for 2 years. After that, exchange it.
- Renewing a new-type card: 2,115 TL, with no class charge and no exam.
- Old pre-2016 cards stopped being valid in November 2025. Replacing one costs the full price for the class.
- Cards issued in early 2016 reached their 10-year limit in 2026: check the date on yours.
Which application do you need?
NVİ handles four kinds of driving-licence application, and each asks for its own papers. A first licence starts at a driving school (sürücü kursu); the other three go straight to a nüfus müdürlüğü with an appointment. Take a ticket for your case, then tick off the papers as you collect them.
Queue ticket · NVİ document lists, read 11 October 2026
Take a ticket for your case
First licence
- Where
- A driving school (sürücü kursu) first: course, theory e-exam, practical exam. Then the nüfus müdürlüğü for the card.
- You pay
- The class charge, 1,690 TL card and 425 TL foundation share: 8,869.60 TL for B. Plus 1,250 TL per theory attempt and the school’s own fees.
Bring
NVİ also checks your criminal record online.
Foreign licence
- Where
- The nüfus müdürlüğü, with an appointment. Ask first whether your country’s licence can be exchanged and which Turkish classes it becomes.
- You pay
- The class charge, 1,690 TL card and 425 TL foundation share: 8,869.60 TL for B. No course and no exams when the exchange is accepted.
Bring
NVİ sends the foreign licence back to the country that issued it: you do not keep both cards.
Renew a new-type card
- Where
- The nüfus müdürlüğü, with an appointment. You can apply at any authorised office, not only where you first applied.
- You pay
- 1,690 TL card and 425 TL foundation share: 2,115 TL. No class charge, no exam.
Bring
NVİ also checks your criminal record online.
Old pre-2016 card
- Where
- The nüfus müdürlüğü, with an appointment; Turkish citizens abroad can apply at a consulate.
- You pay
- The full class charge, plus the card at full price and the foundation share: 8,869.60 TL for B, 4,354.90 TL for A.
Bring
Old-type cards stopped being valid in November 2025. Driving on one: the licence is taken away.
“NVİ checks it online” means you do not bring that paper; the office looks it up. A health report is valid for 2 years unless it says otherwise. Your office may ask for more.
At the counter
Book on randevu.nvi.gov.tr, on e-Devlet, in the NVİ app or by calling 199. NVİ says you can take a queue number from 30 minutes before your slot until 60 minutes after it; later than that, the application is not taken.
Apply in person: NVİ does not take a driving-licence application through a power of attorney. When the card comes, by PTT to your address at no charge, check your name and classes on it.
What it costs in 2026
Every licence card is paid for in up to three parts. The class charge (harç) depends on the class: the tax administration’s communiqué no. 98 sets it for 2026. The card itself (değerli kâğıt bedeli) is 1,690 TL and the police foundation share (vakıf payı) is 425 TL, whatever the class.
| Class group | Class charge | Card + foundation share | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, A1, A2, F | 2,239.90 TL | 1,690 + 425 TL | 4,354.90 TL |
| B | 6,754.60 TL | 1,690 + 425 TL | 8,869.60 TL |
| B1, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE, G, M | 11,271.20 TL | 1,690 + 425 TL | 13,386.20 TL |
| Renewing a new-type card | — | 1,690 + 425 TL | 2,115 TL |
The card charge and class charge are paid at Finance Ministry cash desks, contracted banks or PTT; the foundation share at the banks that work with the police. NVİ checks both online, so keep the receipts in case a payment does not show. The theory e-exam is paid to the education ministry, MEB: 1,250 TL including VAT for each attempt, through Ziraat Bankası, Halkbank or VakıfBank, or by card at odeme.meb.gov.tr.
Pick your application and class. The slip adds up what goes to the state; the school, the practical exam and your own papers stay off it, because nobody sets one price for them.
Fee slip · 2026 charges, checked 4 October 2026
Add up what you pay
Application
Class group
- Class charge harç6,754.60 TL
- Card değerli kâğıt1,690.00 TL
- Foundation share vakıf payı425.00 TL
- Theory e-exam × 11,250.00 TL
Total10,119.60 TL
Plus the driving school, the practical exam and your own papers. Ask the school for a written quote that lists what it includes.
- Driving school course
- Practical exam
- Health report, photo, translations
Driving on a foreign licence
Article 88 of the Highway Traffic Regulation, quoted in a Turkish consulate notice and repeated in the NVİ answers, sets two clocks, both counted from the day you enter Türkiye. Foreign nationals may drive on a licence from abroad for up to six months; Turkish citizens for up to two years. After that, the licence has to be exchanged for a Turkish one before you drive again.
Set who you are and the day you came in. The ruler shows where you are on your clock.
Article 88 · read 11 October 2026
Your foreign-licence clock
- Foreign nationals: up to 6 months from the day of entry.
- Turkish citizens: up to 2 years from the day of entry, and after 6 months in Türkiye, a translation approved by a notary or a consulate in the car.
The rule counts from entry. If you have left and come back, or hold two nationalities, ask NVİ or 199 how your period is counted before you rely on it. A residence permit does not give a foreign national the two years.
Exchanging is not automatic. Before you pay a translator, tell the nüfus müdürlüğü or 199 the country that issued your licence, its classes and the kind of card it is, and ask whether it can be exchanged and into which Turkish classes. When it is accepted, you skip the course and the exams but pay the class charge, the card and the foundation share, the same as for a new licence. NVİ then sends your foreign card back to the country that issued it.
For a rental car, the rental company and its insurer set their own rules on age and licence: ask them before you book.
Seventeen classes, one card
The class letters on a Turkish card follow the European system. Each has its own minimum age, and a card for lorries and buses is valid for 5 years, against 10 for the others. Several heavier classes also need a licence you already hold. Set your age to see which classes are open to you, and tap one to read what it covers.
Licence classes · NVİ, read 11 October 2026
What can you drive at your age?
M Mopeds
- Minimum age16
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
A1 Light motorcycles, within power and size limits
- Minimum age16
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge2,239.90 TL
A2 Medium-power motorcycles
- Minimum age18
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge2,239.90 TL
A All motorcycles
- Minimum age20
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge2,239.90 TL
At least 2 years of A2. For three-wheelers over 15 kW the age is 21.
B1 Four-wheeled motorcycles (quadricycles)
- Minimum age16
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
B Cars and light vans
- Minimum age18
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge6,754.60 TL
BE A B vehicle with a heavier trailer
- Minimum age18
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs B.
C1 Medium lorries
- Minimum age18
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs B.
C1E A C1 lorry with a trailer
- Minimum age18
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs C1.
C Heavy lorries
- Minimum age21
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs B.
CE A C lorry with a trailer
- Minimum age21
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs C.
D1 Minibuses
- Minimum age21
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs B.
D1E A D1 minibus with a trailer
- Minimum age21
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs D1.
D Buses
- Minimum age24
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs B.
DE A D bus with a trailer
- Minimum age24
- Valid for5 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Needs D.
F Wheeled tractors
- Minimum age18
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge2,239.90 TL
G Construction machinery
- Minimum age18
- Valid for10 years
- Class charge11,271.20 TL
Age is only the first test: the health report, the school’s course and the exams follow. Weight, power and seat limits for each class are set in the traffic regulation; ask the school which class your vehicle needs.
From a car to a 125cc
Since a change to Article 85 of the traffic regulation, a class B holder can add light A1 motorcycles without a full motorcycle licence. NVİ lists three conditions: a valid B licence held for at least two years, the health conditions for two-wheelers, and no licence taken away, for a time or for good, in the five years before you apply. Then you take the A1 riding lessons at a driving school and pass its practical exam; once MEB’s A1 certificate is in the system, you may ride A1 motorcycles in Türkiye.
Tap each condition you meet.
B to A1 · Article 85, read 11 October 2026
Green light for a 125cc?
One of three. All three are needed before a school can start the A1 lessons.
All three must be true. Then: A1 riding lessons and a practical exam at a driving school, and the A1 certificate in the system. Not for commercial riding.
What the A1 route is not
- Not a B card alone: without the lessons, the exam and the certificate, a B licence does not cover a motorcycle.
- Not for work: courier and other commercial riding are left out.
- Not abroad: it is a Turkish rule for riding in Türkiye.
- Ask the school how many lessons it plans and what the exam costs, in writing.
The school and the two exams
A first licence starts at a driving school. You need to have finished at least primary school; a foreign diploma needs a notarised translation. The school registers you for both exams. Ask for a written quote that separates the course, extra lessons, exam fees and the NVİ charges, and what a failed or missed exam costs you; there is no single course price across Türkiye.
The theory exam is MEB’s computer e-exam (e-Sınav). Its 2026 guide sets 50 questions in 45 minutes: 12 on first aid, 23 on traffic and the environment, 9 on the vehicle and 6 on traffic etiquette. 70 points pass, which is 35 correct answers when all 50 questions count, and a wrong answer takes nothing away. Each attempt costs 1,250 TL. Slide to see where the pass line falls.
e-Sınav · MEB 2026 guide, checked 4 October 2026
50 questions, 45 minutes
- First aid 12
- Traffic and environment 23
- Vehicle technique 9
- Traffic etiquette 6
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76 pointsPass
38 correct: 76 points. A pass, 3 above the line of 35 correct.
Grouped by subject here; on the screen the questions may come in any order. Each correct answer is worth 2 points when all 50 count.
You can sit the theory exam in another language only with conditions: the guide asks that you take the theory lessons in that language through an interpreter, and that the school enters the language in its MTSK system at least 48 hours before the exam. Ask the school which languages it can arrange. To move a theory exam, the guide asks for the request at least 24 hours before, with a documented excuse.
The practical exam
MEB’s changes of 9 July 2024, which took full effect in 2025, give each candidate 40 minutes for the practical exam, with manoeuvres and driving on the road, judged by a commission. Exams may now run between 07:00 and 21:00, which does not mean every centre tests all day.
The school books the exam and quotes its fee; ask for it in writing, and ask what a second attempt costs.
Passing gives you a driving certificate, not a licence: it does not let you drive on the road until the card is issued. Licences issued for the first time since 2016 also come with two years as a candidate driver (aday sürücü). Nothing on the card shows it, but NVİ’s system does, and if a candidate licence is cancelled, getting a new one means a driving course and the exams again.
Two kinds of card that no longer count
Türkiye switched to a new plastic card on 1 January 2016. The old paper-style cards issued before then stopped being valid in November 2025: anyone still driving on one has the licence taken away and must replace it at the full price for the class. And the first new-type B cards, issued on 1 January 2016, reached their 10-year limit on 1 January 2026. Driving on an expired card brings a 4,712 TL fine in 2026, and the licence is taken away.
- Old type: not valid since November 2025; replace it at the full price for the class.
- New type: 10 years from issue, or 5 for C and D classes; renew for 2,115 TL.
The renewal itself is short: no class charge and no exam, but a fresh health report, a photo and an appointment. A 5-year lorry or bus card needs the same each time it runs out.
The day you apply
- Make sure of your routeFor a foreign licence, settle with NVİ whether it can be exchanged before you pay for anything.
- Book the appointmentOn randevu.nvi.gov.tr, e-Devlet, the NVİ app or 199; choose the driving-licence service.
- Pay the chargesClass charge and card at Finance Ministry cash desks, contracted banks or PTT; the foundation share at a bank that works with the police. Keep the receipts.
- Go in personTake a queue number from 30 minutes before your slot to 60 minutes after; bring the papers on your ticket above.
- Track and check the cardFollow it on randevu.nvi.gov.tr, e-Devlet, the NVİ app or 199. When PTT brings it, check your name and classes; if something is wrong, you must hand it back.
Budgeting in another currency? Work out the lira total first, then see today’s exchange rates; your bank’s rate and fees will differ.
Words for the counter
Staff at a nüfus office and at driving schools mostly work in Turkish. These help.
- Ehliyet için randevu almak istiyorum.I would like an appointment for a driving licence.
- Yabancı ehliyetimi değiştirmek istiyorum.I would like to exchange my foreign licence.
- Ehliyetimi yenilemek istiyorum.I would like to renew my licence.
- Hangi belgeler gerekiyor?Which documents are needed?
- Sınav ücreti fiyata dahil mi?Is the exam fee included in the price?
- Yazılı fiyat teklifi alabilir miyim?Could I have a written quote?
- Sınava İngilizce girebilir miyim?Can I take the exam in English?
Quick answers
How much is a driving licence in Turkey in 2026?
For a first class B licence, 8,869.60 TL in charges to NVİ (6,754.60 TL class charge, 1,690 TL card, 425 TL foundation share), plus 1,250 TL for each theory exam attempt. The driving school and the practical exam are priced by the school.
How long can I drive in Turkey on a foreign licence?
Foreign nationals up to six months from the day they enter Türkiye; Turkish citizens up to two years. After that, the licence has to be exchanged for a Turkish one.
Can I exchange my foreign driving licence?
Often, but not always, and not always for every class. Ask NVİ or 199 first with your country, classes and card type. An accepted exchange skips the course and exams; you pay the class charge, the card and the foundation share.
Is my old pink Turkish licence still valid?
No. Old-type cards from before 2016 stopped being valid in November 2025. Replace it at a nüfus office, paying the full class charge, the card and the foundation share (8,869.60 TL for B).
How much is renewing a Turkish licence?
2,115 TL for a new-type card: 1,690 TL for the card and 425 TL foundation share, with no class charge and no exam. You also need a health report and a photo.
How many questions are on the theory exam?
50 questions in 45 minutes; 70 points, or 35 correct answers when all 50 count, pass. Wrong answers do not take points away.
Can I ride a 125cc motorcycle with a car licence?
Only after the A1 route: a B licence held for at least two years, a health report for two-wheelers, no licence taken away in five years, then A1 lessons, a practical exam and the A1 certificate. Not for commercial riding.
Sources
The NVİ answers and the Article 88 notice were read on 11 October 2026; the 2026 charges, the e-exam guide and the practical-exam changes were checked on 4 October 2026. NVİ decides each application, and the school confirms your course and exams. The illustrations show the subject, not real people, offices or cards.
- Driving-licence services: questions and answers — NVİ, checked 11 October 2026
- Communiqué no. 98 on the Fees Law (2026 class charges) — Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı, checked 4 October 2026
- Application prices — NVİ, checked 4 October 2026
- Appointment questions — NVİ, checked 4 October 2026
- Appointment system — NVİ, checked 11 October 2026
- MTSK e-Sınav guide, May 2026 — MEB, checked 4 October 2026
- Exam fee payment — MEB, checked 4 October 2026
- Changes to the driving exams, 9 July 2024 — MEB, checked 4 October 2026
- Driving in Türkiye on a foreign licence (Article 88) — Turkish Consulate General in Toronto, checked 11 October 2026
